Sheriff's office track down suspects in Loleta robbery

Humboldt County Sheriff's Office deputies arrested two men on Saturday in connection with an ATV theft in Loleta.

According to a press release, deputies met with a 65-year-old man about 5 p.m. on Saturday on Cannibal Island Road, near Hawks Hill Road in Loleta, who reported he was threatened with a tire iron and had his ATV stolen by two men.

The man said he parked an ATV on the road and was working in a field about 10 feet away when a silver 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee with Idaho plates and two men inside drove up to him.

A man -- later identified as Kevin Todd Latham, 26, of Woodland -- exited the vehicle and asked for a cigarette. When the victim told Latham that he did not smoke, the release states that Latham reached into the Jeep, removed a tire iron and began swinging the tool at the victim while charging and threatening him.

As the victim backed away, Latham got onto the man's ATV and took off westbound on Cannibal Island Road with the Jeep following.

The victim was able to provide a good description of the two suspects, the release states.

As they were searching the area for the suspects, a citizen contacted deputies to report that an ATV had been found in the bushes near Crab Park -- located at the foot of Cannibal Island Road. Deputies searching the area found Latham, but not the Jeep.

At about 7 p.m. Saturday, a deputy spotted a Jeep parked at Herrick Avenue. According to the release, the vehicle and the driver -- later identified as Joshua Ellis Moon, 24, of Hoopa -- matched the victim's description. The deputy watched Moon walk away from the vehicle, but by the time he could reach the Jeep, Moon was gone.

About 20 minutes later, the same deputy spotted Moon walking in the McDonald's parking lot on Broadway.

Moon and Latham were arrested and booked into the Humboldt County jail on suspicion of robbery, brandishing a weapon and vehicle theft. The men's bail was set at $50,000 each.

The sheriff's office is asking anyone with information about this case or related criminal activity to call the sheriff's office at 445-7251 or the sheriff's office crime tip line at 268-2539.